Man Charged With Kidnapping New Hampshire Teen

MEGHAN KENEALLY

Monday, July 28, 2014

Police have charged a 34-year-old man with kidnapping Abigail Hernandez, the New Hampshire teen who vanished on her walk home from school nine months before she returned home last week, authorities said.

Nathaniel Kibby was arrested at his home in Gorham, New Hampshire, this afternoon. He is charged with felony kidnapping, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General's office.

His arrest comes after the teen walked into her mother's home in the town of Conway -- which is 34 miles away from Gorham -- on July 20.

Associate Attorney General Jane Young told ABC News that the investigation is ongoing and there may be more arrests if evidence reveals more suspects, but for the time being they are not actively pursuing other suspects. There is a news conference planned for Tuesday for after Kibby is arraigned, officials said.

"Over the course of the past week, law enforcement officers have worked around the clock to ascertain the facts and circumstances surrounding Abigail's disappearance and return," the Attorney General's office said in a statement Monday. "Abigail Hernandez provided the police with details of her kidnapping sufficient to warrant today's arrest."

Abigail, who turned 15 while she was missing, has been resting at home and is spending time with friends and family as she tries to improve her health.

She is said to be severely malnourished and unable to eat solid foods.

"I wish that I could personally thank everyone who looked for me. My gratitude is beyond words," she said in a statement released on the family's website ahead of the arrest. "It's an incredible feeling to be home and I believe in my heart that your hopes and prayers played a major role in my release. Thank you all for the welcome home."

Abigail has reportedly met with investigators every day since she walked back into her mother's home.

Investigators released a sketch of a suspect as described by Abigail on July 24, and she said that the man had "darkish skin, dark brown eyes, black stubble facial hair, and a large build."

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